Ollie Palmer has been a key player in Wrexham’s meteoric rise up the English Football League ladder.
After taking over in February 2021, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds wasted little time in splashing the cash.
Paul Mullin arrived from Cambridge United on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, likely being offered a hefty wage given he was swapping League One for the National League.
Mullin had a solid start to life at Wrexham but it was clear the Liverpool-born star needed a new partner up front.
In turn, the Red Dragons went on to pay out £300,000 to AFC Wimbedlon for Ollie Palmer in January 2022.
However, had things worked out differently, there’s a chance we may never have seen Palmer line out at the Racecourse Ground.
Why Ollie Palmer rejected Wrexham offer
Palmer joined Wimbeldon from Crawley Town on a free transfer in August 2020.
The striker scored 13 goals and provided six assists for the club, who were playing in the third tier of English football at the time.
However, he, like Mullin, swapped League One football for the National League but came very close to not doing so.
Speaking shortly after signing for Wrexham, as per London News Online, the number nine revealed that he initially turned down a contract with the Welsh club as he thought he would finish his career with Wimbeldon.
However, after being made aware he was unlikely to be re-signed following an extension, it made his decision to leave Wimbdelon a lot easier.
He said: “The club agreed the figure [with Wrexham], but I had originally turned down the contract. I was saying to Wimbledon that I was very happy, but they just needed to offer me a new and long-term deal – which they weren’t willing to do.
“In the end, I had to weigh everything up and say: ‘I am technically out of contract right now, I have got another club offering me a long-term deal, and Wimbledon have gone down the road of signing younger players.’
“If I hit a certain amount of games, that would have given me another year on my contract, but I wanted another year or two on top of that.
“I was made aware that it was unlikely that I wouldn’t be re-signed again after that extension. I would be 31 by then, so it made my decision a lot easier in the end.”
Ollie Palmer Wrexham future
After three impressive years at the Racecourse, the now 33-year-old has found himself out of favour in 2025.
Palmer hasn’t featured in any of the club’s last eight league games, sitting behind all of Sam Smith, Steven Fletcher, Jay Rodriguez, Jack Marriott and, after Reading, seemingly Modou Faal in the striker pecking order.
After signing an extension in 2024, the forward is under contract with Wrexham until 2026.
But Palmer had transfer interest in the winter window and it’s probably fair to assume the North American-owned club could move him on in the summer if he doesn’t play another game this season.